Apparatus for heat-treating metals



2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 20, 1927.

F. S. KOCHENDORFER ET AL APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING METALS Filed No v.

Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,215

F. S. KOCHENDORFER ET AL APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING METALS Filed Nov; 15, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,653,215 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIC S. KOCHENDORFER, F RIVER FOREST, AND ARTHUR E. SCHULZ, OF CHI- CAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR HEAT-TREATING METALS.

Application filed November 15, 1922. Serial No. 601,008.

This invention relates to apparatus for heat treating metal, and more particularly to improvements in the mechanism employed for feeding metal in strand, strip or sheet form through the heat treating apparatus.-

The object of the invention is to provide means for continuously feeding a metallic strand through the apparatus for administering'the heat treatment without subjecting the strand to substantially any tension.

The apparatus herein disclosed isv particularly adapted for heat treating a copper wire to be used as an electrical conductor for the transmission of intelligence, the conductor being wrapped with a metallic alloy tape having certain electrical characteristics which are controlled to some extent by the character of the heat treatment administered thereto. A full disclosure of the metallurgical constituency of the tape or of its electrical characteristics or of the specific heat treatment are not necessary to a complete understanding of the present invention which is not limited to this use but may be 4. employed for other purposes and the invention is only to be limited by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be set forth in detail in the following description and particularly pointed out in the claims. v I

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an apparatus for heat treating metals embodylng the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the construction of the caterpillar feeding device at the take-up end;

.Fig. 3 is a rear elevation partly broken away and also in vertical section, of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower left hand corner of the mechanism shown in Fig.3 showing the friction drive for the caterpillar grippers.

Although the apparatus disclosed in the drawing is particularly designed for heat treating and feeding metal in strand form, it is to be understood that the apparatus may be modified to treat metal in strip, plate or other forms, without departing from the.

spirit and scope of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail electric furnaces heated by coils diagrammatica'lly illustrated at 12 and 13 respectively. The furnace 10 is longer than the furnace 11 and is maintained at a higher temperature, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained." Instead of two furnaces, it is to be understood that a single furnace having two zones maintained at different temperatures may be utilized, or the heating means may be otherwise modified, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Suitably supported within the furnaces 10 and 11 is a metallic tube 14 which communicates with a cooling tube 15. For a detailed description and illustration of the construction of the cooling tube 15, reference is made to the patent to Frederic S. Kochendorfer, No. 1,624,668, issued April 12, 1927. i The strand to be heat treated is fed from a supply reel (not shown) and pushed through the tubes 14 and 15 by means of a caterpillar'feeding mechanism 18which will be hereinafter described in detail. As the strand passes from the discharge end of the cooling tube 15, it is acted upon by a second 4 caterpillar feeding mechanism 19, which serves to take up any slack in the strand, in a manner hereinafter described, the heat treated strand being taken up on a storage reel, (not shown).

For the sake ofv simplicity the drawings only illustrate one heating tube and one cooling tube, but it is to be understood that in practice a plurality of tubes similar to the tube 14 may be mounted within the furnaces 10 and ll and that a plurality of cooling tubes 15 may be utilized therewith. The caterpillar feeding mechanisms are designed to receive five strands so that this number of heating and cooling tubes may be utilized without necessitating any modification in the feeding mechanism.

In order to provide both a non-oxidizing and a non-reducing atmosphere in the heating tube 14, nitrogen under pressure is forced into the said tube through a pipe 25.

stantially no tension be put on the conductor along its length while it is being treated. To insure this, the conductor is pushed through the furnace and the cooling apparatus by the caterpillar mechanism 18'at the forward end of the furnace which com prises a pair of chains carrying rubber gripping shoes. The chains are positively driven at a fixed speed in a direction which will push the conductor through the'ap'paratus causing a certain amount of slackbeyond the cooling tube.

The caterpillar mechanism 19 at the exit end of the heat treating apparatus functions to feed the treated strand to a storage reel, (not shown) under a certain substantially uniform degree of tension. Due to slippage between the gripping shoes of the caterpillar mechanisms 18 and 19, the slackness between the exit end of the furnace and the caterpillar mechanism 19 will vary. To maintain this slackness substantially uniform means is provided for varying the speed of the caterpillar mechanism 19, which means is responsive to the. slackness in the strand.

The mechanism 19 (Figs. 2, 3, and 4) and its operation will now be described.

Within a housing are chains 31 and 32 mounted one above the other at one end upon sprockets 33 and 34 respectively, and at the opposite end upon sprockets 35 and 36, and all of said sprockets being carried upon suitably mounted shafts. Each chain link is provided with a gripping shoe 37 composed of rubber which is recessed to conform to the shape of the strandbeing treated. The strand enters the housing 30, passes over a suitable stationary shoe 38, and then between the shoes 37. The sprocket wheel 36 (Fig. 4) is suitably secured on a collar 40 mounted to rotate freely upon a drive shaft 41 driven at a suitable speed. Adjacent the collar 40 and secured to the shaft 41 by a key 43 is a. friction coupling ring 44 equipped with friction rings 45 and 46 one upon each side and at its peripheral edge. The rings 45 and 46 are preferably made of leather, but any suitable material will serve the purpose.

The friction ring 45 bears against one side of the sprocket 36 and the ring 46 bears against a ring 49 carried by a plurality. of pins 50-:50 suitably secured to the sprocket 36 and equally disposed radially about the axis thereof. The pins 5050 project through the ring 49, and mounted thereon .either up or down to vary are compression washers 51 preferably composed of rubber. One face of the washer 51 bears against the face of the ring 49, the opposite face against a washer 52, on the the pin 50. Upon the end of the pin 50 is a screw threaded nut 53, and by turning it upon the pin 50, to the right or left it will readily be seen that the friction between the rings 45 and 46, and the faces of the sprocket 36 and the ring 49 respectively may be regulated.

Secured to the collar 40 by the same means securing the sprocket 36 thereto, is a gear 56 which meshes with a similar gear 57 suitably secured to the sprocket 35, di rectly thereabove for driving the chains 31 and 32 in unison.

To vary the pressure of the shoes 37-37 upon the strand, a stationary shoe 58 (Figs. 2 and 3) is suitably mounted between the sprockets 33 and 34 and engages the inside of the lower run of the chain 31. Adjustably mounted in a housing 59 is a shoe 60 which bears against the inside of the upper run of the chain 32. The shoe 60 is carried upon two cams 61 each secured to a separate shaft 62 having a bearing in the housing 59. The shafts 62 each carry a worm gear 63 which meshes with a worm 64 secured upon a shaft 65 supported at onecnd in the housing 59, with its other end projecting through the housing 30 and having a bearing therein. Upon this end of the. shaft is a crank 66 and by turning this crank one way or the other the shoe 60 will be moved vertically the pressure between the shoes 37-37 on the chains and the strand to give the required traction.

Bearing on the strand between the heat treating apparatus and the chains of caterpillar mechanism 19, is a roller 69 secured to the end of a tension lever 70 pivotallv supported on the housing 30 at a point 7 The roller is allowed to bear on the strand with enough pressure to cause a certain amount of slackness at this point (Fig. 1) as will be hereinafter described. Adjacent the pivot point of the lever 7 0, the lever is provided with an upwardly extending arm (3, to the upper end of which is adiustablv secured one end of a tension spring 74. The other end of the spring 74 is suitably secured to the housing 30. By adjusting the tension of the spring at its point of connection with the arm 73 it will readily be seen that the downward pressure of the roller 69 upon the strand, may be regulated to a nicety. Mounted on the pivot point 72 is a lever 7 7, the upper end ofwhich engages an adjustable pin 78 mounted in the arm 73. Secured to the lever 77 in line with its pivot is one end of a brake band 79 referably made of steel. The brake band i 9 passes around a brake drum 80 withits other end adjustably secured to the lower end of the lever 77.

.The brake drum 80 is secured to turn with this point. The pin 78 is'adjusted in the' arm 73 to engage the upper end of the lever 77 and the end of the brake band 7 9attached to the lower end of the lever 77 is adjustedto give correct contact with the brake drum 80. At times the strand will not be pushed by the mechanism 18 at the desired constant speed due to slippage between the shoes carried on the chains and the strand. This causes momentarily too much of the slack in the strand to be taken up by the mechanism 19'which draws the strand as fast as .it is pushed by the mechanism 18, This causes the roller 69 to move upward due to the slackness in the strand being taken up by the mechanism 19. The roller .69 in moving up, rocks the lever about its pivot point 72, thereby rocking the lever 77 about its pivot due to the upper end thereof engaging the pin 78. This movement of the lever 77 moves the lower end thereof upward and draws the brake band 79 tighter around the brake drum thereby holding back the endless chains 31 and 32 from drawing the strand until the desired slackness again occurs in the strand which will allow the roller- 69 to move down, thereby loosening the brake band upon the brake drum and allowing the chains 31- and 32 to draw the strand at their normal'speed.

If slippage occurs between the strand and the shoes on the endless chains of the mechanism 19, an increase in the slackness of the strand will occur which will allow the roller (39 to move downward. The roller 69 in moving down rocks the lever 70 about its pivot 72 thereby allowing the lever 77 to move counter clockwise about its pivot, thereby decreasing the grip of the brake band 79 upon the brake drum 80. When this occurs the chains wi ll be driven faster and when the excess slackness has been taken up, the roller (it) will have moved back to its normal position, thereby causing the brake band to grip the brake drum with the initial amount of friction.

Means is provided for taking care of the expansion and contraction of the furnace tube 14, to hold it straight and to prevent it curling. Were such means not provided the tube would bend causin the strand to be subjected to increased riction and consequently tension, as it was pushed through the-tube. This means is indicated at 85. For a detailed description of this means, reference ismade to the aforementioned patent to Frederic S. Kochendorfer.

IVhat is claimed is;

1. In aheat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, mecha-' nism for feeding the strand through the heating chamber, friction driving means for said mechanism, and a brake device operated by the strand for controlling the effect of said driving mechanism.

2. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, mechaheating chamber, friction driving means for said mechanism, a brake device controlling the effect of said driving mechanism, said brake device actuated responsive to the slackness of the strand.

3. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, means for feeding the strand through the heating chamber. and mechanism acting upon the strandio take up slack therein, friction disk driving means for said mechanism and a brake device responsive to the tension of the strand for controlling the eflect of said driv-' ing mechanism,

4. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in .strand form, a heating chamber, means for feeding the strand through the heating chamber and mechanism acting upon the strand to take up slack therein, friction driving means for said mechanism and a brake device controllin the effect of said driving mechanism, saidbrake device actuated responsive to the slackness of the strand. I

5. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, means for pushing the strand through the heating chamber, a caterpillar mechanism engaging the strend for taking up any slackness thereof, a friction driving mechanism for the caterpillar mechanism, and a brake device controlling the efiect of said driving mechanism.

6. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, means for pushing the strand through the heating chamber, a caterpillar mechanism engaging the strand for 'taking up slackness thereof,- a friction driving mechanism for the caterpillar mechanism, and a brake device controlling the efi'ect of said driving mechanism, said brake device actuated responsive to the slackness of the strand.

7. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heatin chamber, a caterpillar mechanism for eeding the strand through the heating chamber, friction driving means for said mechanism and a brake device controlling the effect of said driving 'nism for feeding .the strand'through the 4 mechanism, said brake device actuated responsive to the slackness of the strand.

8. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, a eater pillar mechanism for pushing the strand through the heating chamber, a second eaterpillar mechanism engaging the strand for taking up any slackness thereof, friction driving mechanism for said last mentioned caterpillar mechanism, and a brake device controlling the effect of said driving mechanism, said brake device actuated responsive to the slackness of the strand.

9. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, means for feeding the strand through the heating chamber, mechanism engaging the strand at a plurality of points in the same plane for-taking up any slackness thereof, friction driving means for said mechanism and a brake device acted on directly by the strand for controlling the effect of said driving means.

10. In a heat treating apparatus for metals in strand form, a heating chamber, mechanism engaging the strand at a plurality of points in the same plane for feeding the strand through the heating chamber, a

second mechanism engaging the strand at aplurality of points in the same plane for taking up any slackness thereof, friction driving means for controlling the effect of said driving means, said brake device actuated responsive to the slackness of the strand. 4

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe 'our names this 4th day of November A. D.,

FREDERIC S. KOCHENDORFER. ARTHUR E. SCHULZ. 

